Paid to Smile
by TheMadame
Summary: Lovino is is a terrible host, Feliciano plays the matchmaker, and Antonio is hoplessly in love and just as hopelessly ignored. / Modern. Humans. Host club setting. /


**Host club:** A business common in Japan that resembles an escort service, though they do not offer sex. You pay for a date at their club, basically. I've taken this and put it in London (I wanted it to be in an English speaking country that wasn't the US, the UK felt more appropriate) and then put my own spin on the thing.

**Warning:** I haven't written fanfiction in years and I've been outside of the APH fandom for about as long. This entire chapter was basically me getting reacquainted with old beloved characters.

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

**- Chapter 1 -**

It was a Friday evening and the host club was filled to the very brim with customers, most of them crowding the tables but a few having a private moment over by the bar. The air was filled with the smell of cigarette smoke, alcohol, sweat, perfume and even a light fragrance of fresh flowers to cover up the more unpleasant smells. The establishment was relatively small and only dimly lit, with music playing loudly enough for all to hear but low enough so that one could hold a pretty normal volume conversation. The place was clean, modern and tastefully decorated, but with Japanese flare to it that was unmistakable if one just cared to study it a little closer. Not that many customers did, they were far too absorbed with the charming hosts that entertained them and purposely got them more and more drunk as the evening went on.

That was their selling tactic, the typical approach that the owner and manager, Kiku Honda, had brought with him from Tokyo when he moved to London. He had set the entry cost and host hiring at an affordable price to draw customers, once the poor sods were enchanted by their pleasant (and quite temporary) companions they began to buy drinks. Very _expensive_ drinks. It seemed that they didn't even care how much it cost though and happily let themselves be convinced by the sweetly smiling hosts to have a drink, then another one, and then another one. A successful evening for a host was when they had gotten all their customers drunk. It meant more money for them as their salary was profit based.

Thus out of all of these fuckers Lovino was the one with the shittiest salary and his little brother, Feliciano, had the best. Luckily they shared an apartment, or else Lovino would have trouble getting by on his meager pay. It was enough though and the job wasn't all that hard, especially since most of the time he was demoted to simply handing out drinks and gathering bottles in silence. There was also the security in that as long as his brother worked at this place he was almost guaranteed to stay because, like everyone else, Kiku had a soft spot for Feliciano. He was really the only reason he had gotten the job in the first place, because unlike all the fakely smiling snakes working for the establishment he wasn't exactly skilled in the art of seduction and conversation.

No, Lovino liked to consider himself a very honest person. He said what he thought and usually meant what he said… well, most of the time… some of the time… … well, at least a third of the time! He'd slip out a lie here and there, and they all trickled out of his mouth as easily as his fingers occasionally slipped into a customer's pocket to ease them of some of their wealth. Lovino defended himself by saying he was simply stealing from the rich to give to the poor, himself that is, and Feliciano had accepted that with his usual naïveté. He only had to be careful so that Kiku and a few of the hosts didn't ever see him do that, because no matter how much Kiku liked his brother and no matter how much Feliciano cried he would end up losing his job if he was caught stealing. The Japanese man had some dishonest tactics of his own, but stealing was completely against his moral code and he had made that quite clear to his employees.

However, Lovino really wasn't the only one here that played dirty to line his pockets. Though the establishment officially only gave company and conversation over a drink it there were a few of the hosts that were willing to take it off the premises of the establishment. Prostitution was a nasty word, Francis had said, it was simply offering extra services to extra lonely customers. The bastard had almost convinced his innocent baby brother to try it out too, but Lovino had promptly introduced the Frenchman to his fist and so put a quick and easy stop to what could have ruined Feliciano's virtue.

Lovino had made sure the other had gone to church and given his confession shortly after. He would not allow his little brother's soul to be tarnished. He was too sweet, too innocent, to end up in hell just because of the fucking Frenchman putting evil thoughts in his stupid little head. Now, Lovino wasn't really all _that_ religious, because he sinned on a daily basis and had more or less reserved himself a nice and hot spot in hell by now, but his brother still held a good position up in heaven. He intended to keep it that way.

Lovino turned his head and sneezed into the crook of his arm, almost dropping the tray filled with empty glasses and bottles in the process. A quiet string of foul words in rapid Italian slipped from his tongue as he weaved his way through the crowd, easily avoiding any sort of inappropriate touches and stepping over legs that would potentially trip him. He had worked here for a year now, but he had learned this dance over the first few months he had been there, and now he had mastered it. During this time he had also learned to keep his cursing and hateful comments quiet and only deck a customer if they were trying to do something truly bad. Such as pulling him down into their lap and sticking a hand under his clothes.

It had happened a few times and Kiku did not appreciate the violent method Lovino preferred, though at the same time he saw how effective it was. After each occurrence the other customers would be exceptionally well behaved for the rest of the evening, and thus he would receive no complaints about sexual harassment from his employees.

The Italian reached the bar and handed the tray to Elizabeta, their bartender, before promptly reaching behind the counter to grab a couple of paper towels. He wiped his runny nose and sniffed, trying to clear it with great irritation. The Hungarian woman watched him with a raised eyebrow as he sent the dirty paper flying, doing a nice three point shot straight into the bin.

"You should have stayed home." She noted, leaning in so that she could keep her voice at a normal speaking level.

"You know I fucking can't." Lovino grumbled and took a seat, taking out his break earlier than he was supposed to. "Besides, it's just a fucking cold." Not a serious one at that either. A runny nose, watery eyes, itching throat and a light headache; it'd go away after a good night's sleep.

"Just don't wipe your nose on your sleeve." She said, as if reminding a small child. He gave a hot glare in return, but it only caused her to laugh softly. "Sorry, I keep having to remind Feli about it." She explained, her expression amused as she began cleaning the glasses he had brought her.

"Well, I'm not Feli." He shot back at her. "Give me something to drink." He wanted something stronger so it'd burn away the itch in his throat and warm him from the inside out. He wanted it to kill off that cold, because he sure as hell didn't have time or the economy to be ill.

"If you can't afford to call in sick for one night, you can't afford to buy a drink." She reminded him, but still prepared a small shot that she put before him. "So it's my treat, only one though."

"Thanks." Lovino actually gave her one of his rare smiles and accepted the shot, downing it in one go and then slammed the glass down on the bar top with a little shudder and a cough. It had been strong stuff. "What the fuck did you give me? *Everclear?" he complained and coughed again, beating his chest as the drink burned its way down into his stomach.

Elizabeta just laughed at him and shook her head, taking the shot glass from him to clean that as well. "No, just vodka." She clarified with amusement. "Ivan insisted it was a good, strong brand. So we decided to give it a go."

The Italian coughed again and grabbed another paper towel to wipe his nose, the drink having made it run like an open tap. It did clear it a bit though. His eyes watered even more now, but at least his damn throat wasn't itching. "He wasn't kidding about it being strong." He muttered and tossed the paper ball towards the trash, it spun around the top and almost fell onto the floor, but then it toppled into the bin.

"Lovino-san, I really must insist that you do not drink unless it was bought for you." A soft, male voice spoke up behind him and he winced. "It is also not time for your break yet." It then added before the owner to it appeared beside him.

"Mr. Honda." Elizabeta straightened. "I bought it for him, to help clear his throat. He was only taking a little breather; he has been running back and forth with heavy trays for over an hour." She explained and glanced at Lovino, knowing that the young man would have ended up sounding whiny and insulting had she given him the opportunity to explain it himself.

"Ah." The Japanese man sounded, his tone as neutral as his expression. Kiku was a relatively short man with a slim build, his clothing and hair looked immaculate yet he adjusted his sleeves with small and easy movements. "It does not matter; I came here to ask where your brother might be?" The dark eyes turned to Lovino then. "His customer has been waiting for half an hour; Feliciano said he was only leaving for a short bathroom visit."

Lovino frowned and straightened, concern and irritation clearly written in his face. "Half an hour? He's a ditz, but he wouldn't just wander off for that long." He muttered and began searching the crowd, his amber eyes wandering from face to face. When he still couldn't find him he slipped off his chair. "I'll look for him."

"No." Kiku said, surprising him. "I will look for him. Please join the waiting customer at table 8."

Lovino opened his mouth to protest but then closed it, making a face. This was his real job; he was supposed to be a host even if he usually didn't do much hosting. He decided not to worry about Feliciano, the idiot had probably gotten distracted by something shiny. Elizabeta grinned and gave him a double thumbs up in encouragement and he pointedly ignored the "Go get him, tiger!" that she jokingly said as he turned his back on her.

Let's see. Table eight… table eight… Oh right, over there. He had to do his little dance across the room once more to reach his destination, almost falling prey to a pair of groping hands on the way. The Italian slipped down on the chair opposite of the customer and put on his most attentive expression (though he still almost looked bored and grumpy, which made his face gain a sort of bland neutrality. Alfred had at one point said he had a chronic bitch face, and as insulting he found that to be he also knew it was true).

His amber eyes met the confused green gaze of a handsome man, only a few years older than himself by the looks of it, but his features were wasted on him as he gave off the same vibes Feliciano did. The vibes of a dumbass. Lovino studied the friendly and easy body language the man possessed, which was followed by an uncertain but still kind smile. He then knew that this man was a likeable idiot, just like his brother. No wonder he had gone for Feli, they would have connected on a spiritual level.

"Uh, hello." He had a smooth Spanish accent and an equally smooth voice that suited Lovino's sleazy, corny Spanish stereotype perfectly. He almost wrinkled his nose. "I'm waiting fo-"

"My younger brother. Feliciano." Lovino cut off and leaned back in his chair. "I am his stand-in until he bothers to drag his ass back here." ¨

The Spaniard blinked. "… Oh." He then said and then cleared his throat. "So uhm… that's really nice of you to keep me company. I really gotta say you two look so much alike!"

"We're twins." Lovino deadpanned and his eyes showed that he was less than impressed. "Fraternal twins." He then added, to explain the differences in their looks.

While Feliciano had auburn hair, Lovino's leaned more towards chestnut. His brother was pale and he was more tanned. Besides that the other had more of a pudgy baby face (the face of a little cherub, Francis had once exclaimed) while his own was slimmer, with more prominent cheek bones and lower eyebrows. They both had more or less the same fine, balanced features besides that though. However, their different personalities truly shone through and automatically made the younger twin more attractive to most. He had a sunny disposition and a constant smile; his eyes were always gleaming with a sort of childish (but lazy) wonder at the world's beauty. Lovino on the other hand usually had an expression that was best likened to an overcast sky, and his grouchy nature did not help it at all.

"Ooooh, that explains it." He was surprised to find that the idiot wasn't put off by his tone and manner. Most would have picked up on his dislike already and become uncomfortable. "So what is your name?" he asked with a sunny smile and leaned in, his fingers weaved together before him on the table.

"If you want to know my name you should start with giving your own." Lovino snapped back at him, his temper rising quickly. There was just something about this man that really, really irritated him.

"Antonio." The Spaniard said with an apologetic smile, his eyes creasing with little laugh lines. He got the impression that this man both smiled and laughed a lot. The complete opposite of himself.

"… Lovino." He said after a short pause and reached for a small menu that had been set out. It was a list with snacks and drinks, different types and brands that ranged from the worst to the best quality. The price for each drink was kept in tiny little numbers that had been moved to the very edge of the paper. "Are you going to order a drink?" he held it out to him.

Much to his annoyance Antonio shook his head. "No, I don't drink too much." He confessed and then picked up a can of coke. "This is the only thing I'll have."

Leech, Lovino thought angrily to himself. "You should order something else." He insisted and waved the drinks list a bit, wanting for him to take it. He was satisfied when he did, but then frowned as the bastard simply put the list down and smiled happily at him.

"No thank you. I come here to talk and have a fun time. I can't enjoy it to the fullest if I'm drunk." Well, that made sense but Lovino almost irrationally found it to be incredibly rude of him. Didn't he know how his salary depended on that the customers got smashed?

There was an awkward silence, but Antonio seemed quite satisfied with just watching him. Lovino fidgeted and glanced from side to side, becoming more and more uncomfortable as the green eyes studied him. They were gentle, warm and uncomfortably intent as they wandered over his face and then briefly down at his body before quickly slipping back up again.

"… … So what do you fucking want to talk about?" Lovino then said and crossed his arms, wanting to shield himself, feeling oddly naked in front of the stranger.

Antonio's eyes met his own and the smile widened. "Oh yes, I'm sorry." He said with a little laugh. "I was distracted. You're really cute."

Lovino felt his cheeks heat up with a blush. Though he was quite used to compliments (and cat-calls, and sexual harassment in general) there was just something so… so sincere in those words. It wasn't just empty flattery from a drunk who was hoping he was one of the hosts that sold his extra services for a night. It was an actual, sincerely meant, compliment.

"Fuck off." He found himself growling and his face turned a shade darker when the Spaniard laughed at him.

"You look like a cute little tomato!" he exclaimed with delight and clapped his hands together, causing the Italian to blush so hard that smoke was almost steaming out of his ears.

"Shut up, you fucking Spanish bastard!" he tried to hide his face as he rose to his feet. He wasn't going to put up with this! He didn't care if Kiku fired him. He could put up with seedy comments and crap like that, he was used to it, but he wasn't going to put up with such… such… mockery!

However, as he was about to leave Antonio quickly leaned over the table to gently grip his wrist. "No.!" he said, obviously alarmed at the other had reacted in such a way. "No, please. Don't go. I didn't mean to make you angry." He apologized, his tone pleading.

There it was again. That sincerity. Lovino glared down at him, his face still tomato red and his mouth a straight line. "You're making fun of me." He said, almost sounding hurt, and tried to tug his arm free.

The green eyes widened and Antonio shook his head. "No! No, I'm not making fun of you, I swear!" his accent had become thicker as he spoke. "I really meant it. That you're cute, that is. I think you're very attractive." He was almost stuttering the words, but it sounded more shy than anything.

How could he so easily say such things and mean it..? Lovino stood frozen and embarrassed, staring down at that handsome face with reluctance and insecurity showing in his entire posture. He then slowly lowered himself into the chair once more, but Antonio didn't release his wrist. It was as if he was afraid he'd bolt like a frightened rabbit if he let go. Lovino probably would have.

"I'm sorry. I really didn't mean to offend." Antonio said gently. "This was a bad start, let's start over? I'm Antonio, what's your name?" he smiled again, his hand remaining on his wrist.

Lovino gave him a look that asked if the other was crazy and then glanced down at the hand that held his arm on top of the table, he untangled himself from it and put his hands in his lap. "Lovino, you dumbass."

"It's very nice to meet you Lovino." The other said with a brilliant smile.

That was the start of a very one sided conversation. The Spaniard, who now had finally picked up on that the Italian wasn't all that much of a talker (at least not with men, he liked to talk to women), and so he had took the talking upon himself. He talked and talked about the most irrelevant of things, but with such enthusiasm that Lovino actually found himself listening. After growing up with a brother like Feli he had learned to tune out and pretend to listen, but now he was actually paying attention.

He quickly found out that Antonio had a love for the simple life and liked to do things at his own pace. One day he wanted to return to Spain so that he could buy his own piece of land, there he would grow tomatoes that he would then sell.

"Tomatoes? Why tomatoes?" Lovino finally asked, a bit reluctant to speak up.

"Because I love tomatoes!" Antonio said, the explanation so simple but also quite honest. "I also think it would be a very nice and peaceful way of living." He said dreamily. "Growing my tomatoes surrounded by lovely nature in the warm sun. Don't you think that sounds nice?" he asked and his green eyes were almost sparkling.

"Yes, I suppose." Lovino admitted and thought about it. "… I love tomatoes too." He finally said, almost a bit shyly. "Not that it fucking matters." He then added and looked away, his grumpy face back in place.

"Oooh oh, but it matters! I'm glad we have something in common!" Antonio said excitedly and laughed, but before he could continue they were interrupted.

"Antonio! I'm so sorry!" Feliciano appeared by the table, his face a bit red and his breathing quicker than usual as if he had ran there. "I sat down just for a moment and fell asleep. Kiku found me and woke me up just a few minutes ago and-and- I'm so sorry..!" he apologized profusely. Apparently these two knew each other pretty well. Was Antonio a reoccurring customer for Feli? … That would explain what he had actually sat around and waited for so long.

"No no, don't worry!" Antonio said and waved his hands. "Lovino kept me company."

Feliciano slipped down on a seat beside his brother who shifted away from him, now feeling utterly uncomfortable again. "You fell asleep..?" he growled at the other and gave him a look.

The other winced. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I was just so tired and my head hurt, and it kinda just happened." He sniffed and swallowed. Lovino wasn't the only one with a bit of a cold, but he was surprised that his little brother hadn't called in sick. He always did, unlike himself.

The question was why it had taken so long for Kiku to find him, but that didn't matter right now. He'd ask later. "Well, since Feli is back I'll leave."

"Oh no, can't you stay?" Spain was fully focused on him, as if he had almost forgotten that Feliciano was there. It was… flattering. He wasn't used to that, his brother was usually the center of attention and he himself tended to simply melt into the background.

"You didn't hire _me_ and I am busy with other things. Feli, don't run off again and do your damn job, you little shit." He said brusquely and walked off, grabbing a tray and gathering empty glasses along the way. He could almost feel the Spaniard's eyes burning into his back as he fled.

-x-

Antonio gave an unhappy sigh and looked after the chestnut haired twin with a sad expression before turning his attention to the younger brother. "I messed up, Feli." He said and hung his head. "You even gave me this opportunity and I messed up."

Feliciano laughed heartily and the Spaniard looked up at him in both confusion and hurt. The auburn haired Italian waved a hand dismissively at him, giggling as he spoke. "Oh, he likes you, Antonio." He assured the older man with a smile.

He blinked in surprise before his whole face lit up with hope. "Really? How can you tell? He didn't seem to like me at all!" he exclaimed and made a wide gesture, his hands coming to life as he spoke.

Feliciano tilted his head with a knowing smile and glanced over the crowd in time to see Lovino angrily slapping a hand away from his butt. "He just seems that way, but I can tell he likes you even if he doesn't really get it himself yet." What people didn't realize was that he wasn't quite as stupid as he seemed. He could be quite observant at times and when it came to matters of the heart he could be as sly as he was charming.

Antonio looked relieved and rested his face in his hands, his attention having turned to the older Vargas twin once more. Feliciano was a nice boy and he liked him quite a lot, they had a lot in common and had much to talk about but… Lovino… there was just something about him. He gave a lovesick sigh.

-x-

_Antonio had been quite hesitant about visiting the host club. Not only was it an oddity in London, but it was a completely foreign concept to him. Host as in… a prostitute? But more elaborate? It had been easy to believe it was so when it was his friend Francis that introduced him to it. The man was as faithful as the devil and had more sexual partners in a year than most people had in a whole life time. Though his assumption had been wrong (for most part, Francis and a few others did give sexual favors outside of work), and had quickly come to quite like the concept._

_After the first visit when his wallet had been brutally emptied after he had indulged in a few drinks he had learned it was better to simply stick to a soda or two. He would perhaps not have come more than once or twice if it had not been for the Vargas brothers, but as it was he had become a regular. It had all started with sweet, little Feliciano. At first he had thought he fancied the young Italian but that had changed the second Lovino had entered his field of vision for the first time._

_It was as if he had been struck by lightning. Energy zapped through him from the top of his head and down to his toes, making every hair on his body curl and stand on end. The world slowed down and all that he could see, all that he could care about at that moment was the young man that had just put down a can of coke in front of him before walking off. _

_Antonio's mouth had fallen open, his green eyes glazed over dreamily as they followed the older twin across the room. Feliciano had waved a hand in front of his face and said his names several times before the Spaniard had finally come back down to earth. _

"_Who was that?" he asked in breathless wonder, his face coloring and his heart speeding up. _

_Feliciano had blinked in confusion and looked over his shoulder to his brother before returning his eyes to his customer. "Eh? Oh, that's my big brother Lovino. He's only ten minutes older, but he says he feels ten __**years**__ older than me sometimes. " He babbled happily._

"_So you're twins?" Antonio asked, surprised that twins could be so very different. _

_The young man nodded in reply. "Mmn! We look a lot alike but we're really different, so people sometimes forget it." _

_He had to let out a slow breath and lean back in his chair, a bit shaken by how violent his own reaction to the older Vargas had been. Was it love..? A violent lust? But if it was lust then he would have felt something similar to Feli right? And he had felt no such thing. _

_It had taken him several agonizing weeks to decide on his feelings and during that time he had taken every chance he could to visit the host club. Mostly just to stare at Lovino, but Feliciano didn't seem to mind in the least because then he used the time to talk to an intimidating, blond man that was surprisingly bashful where he sat beside the young host. Though he didn't pay much heed to that, because he was so wrapped up in his own thoughts. _

_Was he in love? Yes. No. Yes. No.. Maybe? Perhaps? YES!... Or no…_

_Francis had noticed his odd behavior and had with a short study easily puzzled the pieces together and presented his solution._

"_Fuck him." He said simply, smiling knowingly as he took a sip of his wine. They were at his apartment, sharing a drink and simply hanging out as friends. Gilbert had been raiding the fridge as they spoke but Francis had yet to restock it so there wasn't much for the German to take, thus he didn't care all that much. _

_Antonio had blushed scarlet and stammered. "I-It's not that simple!" he protested and fidgeted in his seat, feeling almost ashamed that the other had suggested such a thing. _

_One blond eyebrow had been raised at that as a pair of blue eyes stared at him quietly. "Why? It is how you have always done it." He noted, which was true. _

_In the past Antonio had happily slept with anyone he took fancy to, and often with people he simply found attractive but felt no connection with. So was the influence of his French friend, but he most certainly did not sleep around like he did. However, this time around that felt… wrong… as if it would spoil any sort of real connection he could have with the young man. _

"_No." he said firmly, having gathered his thoughts enough to be firm. "It's not like that this time. I… I think I'm…" he trailed off. A man of passion he had called himself! Though when it was also possible love involved then resorting to only simple passion felt cheap and dirty. "… Can you tell me more about him?" he had pleaded, though he had already asked Feliciano about his brother he still wanted to hear more. _

_Francis had been shocked into silence before he gave a sort of wry, sad smile. "Yes, yes. As you wish." He, too, had felt such a passionate love before and it had ended in tragedy. He could only hope that it did not end the same way for his friend. _

_Eventually Antonio had come to accept that it was quite possible that he had more than just an intense crush on the young man, but he wasn't so childish as to think it was __**true love**__. He didn't even know him after all. Though he did wish it would come to that eventually, he wanted it desperately._

_So one evening (when Lovino was absent from the host club, he would otherwise not have had the courage to do it) he sat Feliciano down and told him of his feelings and problems. All the while the little Italian had sat and listened with surprisingly keen interest. His large, amber eyes watched him with an odd and intent gleam, as if silently judging him. The normally talkative boy had turned so quiet and thoughtful that it had made him worry if it had been a wise decision to tell him after all. _

_Then at last he spoke. "Do you really feel like that about Lovino?" his voice was soft and he tilted his head. "You are really, really sure about it?"_

_Antonio gave a nod. "I have agonized over it for weeks and I feel just the same as I did then, if not even more strongly." He said and gave him a miserable look. "And I haven't even talked to him, I've tried, but…" he had chickened out. The butterflies in his stomach had done such a violent dance that he felt dizzy and his heart had beaten so fast he thought it was trying to break out of his chest. _

_Feliciano tried not to smile, but the corners of his lips had tugged up in little twitches and his eyes had glittered. "I'm happy." He said sweetly then. "You're a really nice person, Antonio; I think that if Lovino gets to know you he'll think so too." _

"_Really?" He felt embarrassed over just how desperate that single word had sounded, his entire face lighting up as he did. "You think I might have a chance?"_

_The young man shrugged and did a vague gesture, trying to convey some uncertainty. "Yeah, I think so, but Lovi can be a little unpredictable." He said with an apologetic smile._

_Antonio's face fell. "Oh." He sounded, but before he could let that dishearten him Feliciano quickly reached out to pet his hand._

"_But I do think you got a chance!" he said encouragingly and grinned. "You just have to… to… approach him in a good way. Take it slow. It's not so easy to get close to him because he doesn't really trust people, because people have been really mean to him before, so he doesn't really like to believe they're nice just to be nice. It's so sad really, because he doesn't think people can like him because I'm around but people would like him a lot more if he just tried to-" _

"_What would be a good way to talk to him?" Antonio cut him off. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in what the other had been babbling about, quite the opposite, but his question had felt more pressing. _

"_Hmmn, well…" Feliciano had begun thoughtfully, putting a finger to his lips._

_That was when their scheming had begun, but they hadn't executed it until about a month later when 1) they had a solid enough plan, and 2) Antonio had actually worked up his courage. It was so very odd for him to act this way. He wasn't a coward and he had never been afraid of approaching someone he liked, he had in fact eight times out of ten been the first to confess his feelings in the past. It was just so much easier to simply say that you liked someone to their face as soon as you had everything figured out. If they liked you they liked you, if they didn't then you were rejected and moved on. Antonio had always lived in the moment and usually didn't worry about things unless he had to. Though this time around he just didn't want to risk being rejected._

_The plan had been simple really. He had hired Feliciano to be his host for the evening; Feliciano would then leave him sitting alone after a while and take a nap. Antonio would then wait a short while (10 minutes originally, but he needed an additional 20 to really man up for it), and had then contacted the manager to say that his host had run off. He had then been quick to point out he wanted Lovino to join him while he waited, which he had._

_-x-_

Antonio was brought back from his daydreaming by Feliciano waving his hand in front of his face. "Oh, sorry." He said with a sheepish smile. ".. So you think I can ask to have him host me from now on?" It'd be a professional thing, but at least it was a start!

The Italian nodded and stole a sip of his soda before putting the can down again. "Mmn!" he then looked thoughtfully. "Later I could invite you to our house!" he said with a friendly grin. "For some dinner! What kind of pasta do you like the most?"

Antonio looked like he had been offered a gift from the gods themselves. "You really want to invite me for a dinner? Outside of work?" he asked excitedly. "And Lovino would be there too?"

Feliciano giggled at his eagerness. "Mmn! We're friends now and I really want Lovi to get to know you too." Had it been any other customer he wouldn't have made any such offer. Work was work, and he didn't want to risk anything weird to happen. Though he just had such a feeling that if everything worked out it would work out really, really well.

Besides, it made him sad that Lovino was so lonely. So if his twin would not bother with finding himself someone to love, then he would just have to play the match maker!

_x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x_

***Everclear** = a 75-95% alcohol level liquid. 1 shot of Everclear = ca 2½ shot of most other hard liquors.

**About their salary:** they do get paid regardless of how well the business goes (they don't get much though), it's just that the extra profit is added to it (it's expensive living in any capital, and London is no exception, so they take any extra they can get).

Now, I will be perfectly honest with you all and say that I am unsure if I will ever get my butt into gear and write more, let alone finish it. Though if a few do express a wish for me to continue then I will do my very best to do so. Also, if you spot any huge language/grammar mistakes it's okay to point it out. I've only looked it over once, so I will probably made a bunch of them.


End file.
